Cyberpunk 2077 Tech Weapon Build – The Engineer

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Build Introduction

Welcome to a brand new Cyberpunk 2077 Build called the Engineer – a shot-gun toting, grenade chucking tech weapon specialist. This build takes a dynamic approach to combat, focusing on face melting up front damage, mobility, weaving in and out of cover and creating opportunities for ourselves with an unpredictable arsenal of grenades and wall-piercing rounds and smart homing technology. Needless to say this build is a beast in all encounters and an absolute blast to play. In this video we’ll cover everything you need to know to make it work including the primary attributes, best weapons, armor, cyberware, and all the best perks you you’ll want, so let’s get started.

Starting Attributes

Alright, first let’s talking starting attributes. Our primary focuses on this build as I mentioned are going to be Shotguns, Tech Weapons and Grenades. To power our shotguns early, we’ll want 6 total points into the Body attribute. This of course powers the Annihilation Skill Tree which improves our skill with Shotguns. The next primary attribute we’ll want to invest in is Technical Ability which will power both our Engineering and Crafting Skill Trees which will be very important as well – so 6 total points here. Your final starting attribute point is up to you but I recommend putting that last point into Reflexes for a few reasons. First, pistols and rifles are fairly common early on in the game – more so than shotguns – so this will help make the build more flexible early on. And second, there is a unique Perk in the Blades Skill Tree which will help empower this build even more – we’ll go over all that in the Perks section later on.

Suggested Starting Stats.

Attribute Progression

You’ll earn 49 additional Attribute points throughout your journey to level 50 in Cyberpunk 2077. The recommended distribution for The Engineer Build is as follows:

Body: 20 (+14)
Reflexes: 4
Tech: 20 (+14)
Int: 7 (+4)
Cool: 20 (+17)

Life Path

For Lifepath I decided to play my Engineer as a junker or a tinkerer – basically someone whos able to put together any kind tech with his bare hands and whatever spare parts he’s able to find lying around. For me, Nomad made the most sense for the type of character I wanted to build, and some of the Lifepath specific dialog choices actually did fit with this theme so I do recommend it if that’s the theme you’re going for as well.

Starting as a Nomad does give you access to some unique Tech / Engineering themed dialog options.

Weapons And Gear

Let’s talk Weapons and Gear next.

First of all, this build is focused on Shotguns, two types specifically that you’ll want on hand at all times and you’ll switch between depending on the situation. Number one is going to be the Satara Double Barrel Tech Shotgun. This thing packs a punch and obviously because of the Tech focus can even punch through walls and other types of cover. This is fantastic for first starting out a fight to disable the enemies nearest to you.

Next up is the Palica, Smart Double Barrel Shotgun. This is quite different from our Tech Shotgun in that the rounds do not penetrate walls in this case but can home in on a target if you aim close enough. So with Palica, we don’t need perfect aim and we can actually shoot around corners just a bit to land quick bursts of damage without making our self vulnerable to attack.

Finally, it’s not a Shotgun, but I do want to recommend one of my very favorite tech weapons early in the game as a backup weapon for this build – that being the Lizzie Tech Pistol – an iconic Weapon recovered from Judy’s basement. This has an insane rate of fire, can apply the burn burn status effect and can also penetrate cover just like the Satara. So this is a great option while you’re looking for your shotguns or also as a finisher or longer range option on the build.

Next let’s talk about Grenades. Cyberpunk 2077 has loads of options for Grenades which makes this build very fun to play as well. From anti-personnel laser bombs, to incendiary, to EMP (great for dealing with mechanical targets), basic frag grenades, poison grenades, recon grenades and flashbangs – there’s so much to choose from. Remember also that there are multiple grenade applications such sticky and homing sub-types for each of the grenades I mentioned. Those sticky are especially nasty against crowds of enemies in tight spaces. Typically though I will just go with a basic frag grenade, because they get the job done and they are also very cheap and easy to craft.

Some of the possible Grenade types that will help this build.

Speaking of crafting we will want some investment in the Crafting Skill Tree because we want to manufacture all of our own Grenades and ammo when possible. This means with enough components you’ll never run out of the supplies you need. For example, basic Frag Grenades can be easily crafted with just a few Common components. The same thing goes for our shotgun ammo as well. I usually make sure I have about 200+ shells and about 50 or more grenades available at any time because remember you cannot save or craft gear while in active combat.

Cyberware

Moving on to Cyberware next. Some of my favorites options for this build are the more defensive Cyberware items like Dermal Plating – this can be found in all different strengths and rarities that give you higher innate armor rating. Other forms of subdermal armor give you protection from specific status effects like the Fireproof coating which protects you from Burn.

Since we do want to use the Smart Shotgun on this build we’ll also need a Smart Link installed in our hands. This can be found at most Ripperdocs early on and this is what enables that smart targeting feature. You can also get a free version from a side quest in Japantown which I’m using here.

Within the Skeletal System, titanium bones and the Synaptic Signal Optimizer are great options for the increased Carrying Weight and Bonus Health.

Finally, within the Circulatory System the Kerenzikov or any other time altering Cyberware piece is a great option for the extra control and flexibility these offer in combat.

A Smart Link is required in order to use the Smart Shotgun on this build.

Skills And Perks

Moving on to Skills and Perks we have quite a bit to cover in this section involving Annihilation, Athletics, Engineering, Crafting, Cold Blood and more. I’m going to go through what I think are the most important Perks to pick up so you can plan ahead. Keep in mind that this is just what I recommend and you can obviously mix and match the Perks you prefer to suit your playstyle.

Recommended Annihilation Perks

The Annihilation Skill Tree includes all of our Shotgun focused Perks so we will obviously be spending quite a bit of Perk Points here. The most import of these have to do with increased damage, increased Crit Chance and Crit Damage, and reduced Weapon Recoil. For the complete list of updated Annihilation Perks be sure to check out our Annihilation Perk Guide.

LEVEL 1
NAME EFFECT
Hail Of Bullets Shotguns and Light Machines Guns deal (3% | 6% | 10%) more damage. (3 Ranks)
LEVEL 5
NAME EFFECT
Pump It, Louder! Reduces recoil of Shotguns and Light Machine Guns by (10% | 20%). (2 Ranks)
In Your Face Reduces reload time of Shotguns and Light Machine Guns by (15% | 30%). (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 7
NAME EFFECT
Dead Center Increases damage to torsos from Shotguns and Light Machine Guns by (10% | 20%). (2 Ranks)
Bloodrush Increases movement speed in combat by (5% | 10%) while carrying a Shotgun or Light Machine Gun. (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 9
NAME EFFECT
Bulldozer Increases Crit Chance with Shotguns and Light Machine Guns by 5%.
Mongoose Increases Mitigation Chance by 25% while reloading Shotguns and Light Machine Guns. By default, Mitigation grants a chance to reduce any damage taken by 50%.
LEVEL 11
NAME EFFECT
Momentum Shift Defeating an enemy using a Shotgun or Light Machine Gun increases movement speed by (10% | 15% | 20%) for 10 seconds. (3 Ranks)
Massacre Increases Crit Damage with Shotguns and Light Machine Guns by (10% | 20% | 30%). (3 Ranks)
LEVEL 16
NAME EFFECT
Burn Baby Burn Doubles the duration of burn.
LEVEL 20
NAME EFFECT
Biathlete Weapon spread does not increase while moving.
Bloodbath Dismembering enemies reduces weapon recoil by 50% for 6 seconds.
+1% per Perk level.

Recommended Athletics Perks

The Athletics Skill Tree is focused on physical tasks primarily such as running, jumping, shooting and reloading. Many Perks in this Skill Tree will improve your overall combat experience in Cyberpunk 2077. For the complete list of updated Athletics Perks be sure to check out our Athletic Perks Guide.

LEVEL 1
NAME EFFECT
Pack Mule Increases Carrying Capacity by 60.
Regeneration Health slowly regenerates during combat.
LEVEL 5
NAME EFFECT
True Grit Increases max Stamina by (10% | 20% | 30%). (3 Ranks)
LEVEL 11
NAME EFFECT
Multitasker Allows you to shoot while sprinting, sliding and vaulting.
Divided Attention Allows you to reload weapons while sprinting, sliding and vaulting.
Like A Butterfly Dodging does not drain Stamina.
LEVEL 12
NAME EFFECT
Invincible Increases max Health by 15%.
LEVEL 14
NAME EFFECT
Marathoner Sprinting does not drain Stamina.
LEVEL 16
NAME EFFECT
Dog Of War Increases Health regeneration in combat by (30% | 60%). (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 18
NAME EFFECT
Steel Shell Increases Armor by 10%
LEVEL 20
NAME EFFECT
The Rock Enemies cannot knock you down.
Indestructible Reduces all incoming damage by 10%.

Recommended Engineering Perks

The Engineering Skill Tree will vastly improve our overall use of Tech Weapons, Smart Weapons and Grenades. For the complete list of updated Engineering Perks be sure to check out our Engineering Perks Guide.

LEVEL 1
NAME EFFECT
Blast Shielding Reduces damage taken from explosions by (10% | 20% | 30%). (3 Ranks)
Mech Looter When looting drones, mech and robots, there is a (25% | 50% | 75%) chance of looting a weapon mod or attachment. (3 Ranks)
LEVEL 5
NAME EFFECT
Draw The Line Preview bullets’ ricochet trajectory when aiming with Power Weapons if Ballistic Coprocessor cyberware is installed.
Grenadier The explosion radius of grenades is visible.
LEVEL 7
NAME EFFECT
Shrapnel All grenade types deal 20 damage in addition to their normal effects.
LEVEL 9
NAME EFFECT
Bladerunner Increases damage to drones, mechs and robots by (20% | 40%). (2 Ranks)
Lock And Load Increases Smart Weapon reload speed by (5% | 10%). (2 Ranks)
Up To 11 Allows you to charge Tech Weapons up to (75% | 100%) capacity. (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 11
NAME EFFECT
Bigger Booms Grenades deal (5% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 25%) more damage. (5 Ranks)
LEVEL 12
NAME EFFECT
Play The Angles Ricochets deal an additional (15% | 30% | 50%). (3 Ranks)
Tesla Increases the charge multiplier for Tech Weapons by (15% | 35% | 55%). (3 Ranks)
LEVEL 14
NAME EFFECT
Ubercharge Fully charged Tech Weapons deal 30% more damage.
Gun Whisperer Fully charged Tech Weapons do not shoot automatically. Does not apply to revolvers.
LEVEL 16
NAME EFFECT
Can’t Touch This Grants immunity to all effects from your own grenades.
LEVEL 18
NAME EFFECT
Lickety Split Tech Weapon charge time is reduced by (10% | 20%). (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 20
NAME EFFECT
Jackpot Enables grenades to deal Critical Hits.
Superconductor Tech Weapons ignore armor.
Revamp Increases damage from Tech Weapons by 25%. Increases charge damage from all chargeable weapons and cyberware by 10%.
+1% charge damage per Perk level.

 

Recommended Cold Blood Perks

The Cold Blood Skill Tree will add to the overall speed, durability and damage of this build. With Cold Blood, the more kills you rack up in combat, the stronger you get! For the complete list of updated Cold Blood Perks be sure to check out our Cold Blood Perks Guide.

LEVEL 1
NAME EFFECT
Cold Blood After defeating an enemy, gain Cold Blood for 7 seconds and increase movement speed by 2%. Stacks up to (1 | 2 | 3) time(s). The duration of each additional stack is 1 second shorter. (3 Ranks)
LEVEL 5
NAME EFFECT
Will To Survive Increases all Resistances by (3% | 6%) per stack of Cold Blood. (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 7
NAME EFFECT
Easy Out While Cold Blood is active, increases ranged weapon damage by (10% | 20%) to enemies within an area of 5 meters. (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 9
NAME EFFECT
Defensive Clotting Increases Armor by (4% | 8%) per stack of Cold Blood. (2 Ranks)
Rapid Bloodflow Increase Health regeneration inside and outside of combat by (5% | 10%) per stack of Cold Blood. (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 11
NAME EFFECT
Coagulant Stacks of Cold Blood are removed one by one, not all at once.
Frozen Precision Increases headshot damage by 5% per stack of Cold Blood.
LEVEL 12
NAME EFFECT
Icy Veins Reduces weapon recoil by (3% | 6%) per stack of Cold Blood. (2 Ranks)
Predator Increases attack speed by (10% | 30%) per stack of Cold Blood. (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 14
NAME EFFECT
Cold And Calculating Landing a Crit Hit has a 50% chance of applying a stack of Cold Blood.
LEVEL 16
NAME EFFECT
Coldest Blood Increases max stack for Cold Blood by (1 | 2).  (2 Ranks)
Critical Condition Increases duration of Cold Blood by (25% | 50%). (2 Ranks)
LEVEL 20
NAME EFFECT
Bloodswell Upon receiving lethal damage while Cold Blood is active, prevents death, consumes all stacks of Cold Blood, restoring 10% Health per stack and grants Damage Immunity for 5 seconds. Player cannot gain Cold Blood while perk is active. Cooldown 15 seconds.
Merciless

While Cold Blood is active, increases Crit Chance by 10% and Crit Damage by 25%.

+1% Crit Chance and +3% Crit Damage per Perk level.

Pros And Cons

Let’s discuss what works well on this build as well as the potential challenges you will face.

Pros

Under Pros this build has a lot of damage, like a lot of damage. We also have some mobility as well as tech to help us deal with targets behind cover. This build excels at short and medium range combat and your ability to combine weapons with explosive or other unique types of grenades opens up a lot of interesting playstyles.

Cons

In terms of disadvantages keep in mind that you don’t have the best shot range in the game, so dealing with Snipers can be tricky especially in more open locations where you can’t find cover. You will be taking a lot of hits early on in the game as you work to get close enough to enemies so using something with a bit more range like the Lizzie Tech Pistol at least early on can give you some more flexibility.

Combat Tips

Finally, a few additional combat tips before you head out.

1) Use mobility and cover to your advantage on this build. Sprinting and sliding from one cover section to another can be very helpful in closing the distance on targets.

2) Use those Penetrating shots whenever possible. Remember that if the only thing between you and the target is a box or a wall, you can still hit them through that object even though they can’t hit you.

3) Use Grenades to set up combos on your enemies. Sometimes the AI is smart enough to move away when you send out a grenade but you can briefly stagger them with a quick round of shotgun shells. So toss your grenade, shoot to stagger and then watch them blow to pieces.

4) Finally, use angles and walls to bound grenades around cover. With the right Engineering Perks you should be able to see your Grenade’s path before you throw it, allowing you to select the right angle before letting go.

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Hack The Minotaur (HTM) is a professional Gaming Blogger and Youtube Creator with decades of experience in Gaming. Hack is the owner of HackTheMinotaur.com – an Elder Scrolls focused site for character builds and guides, and now Cyberpunkcentral.com – your source for unique Cyberpunk 2077 guides, builds and more!

Hack loves gaming content, particularly Traditional RPG’s, Action RPG’s and MMO’s. Go check out his YouTube Channel for even more builds and guides on popular series like the Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Cyberpunk and make sure to check out his social media for updates on what content is coming next!

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